‘When He was alone…the twelve asked of Him…’ – Mark 4:10
Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? I did, beginning yesterday and into this morning. Not that anything truly bad has happened, but it’s the little things. Turning on a light switch to get Chloe’s bath towel and pajamas while she’s in the tub (water running) only to have the bulb go out. Getting all the way to the office and realizing that I have my computer bag…sans computer. These are the kinds of frustrations that leave me totally at a loss for words that can be used in polite company.
Fortunately, I have been at this whole relationship with God thing long enough to stop, at the peak of my frustration and say ‘God, what is it exactly that you are trying to tell me?’ In my case, the lesson was loud and clear, ‘You have been busy, which is understandable, but you have not taken even a moment for conversation with Me.’ I heard it almost audibly. It was true.
God gets us alone through our suffering and frustration. These times, when we are so frustrated, sad, and disappointed that we simply become dumbfounded and don’t know what to say are ample opportunities for God to help us realize something about our nature. If we stop to listen in these times, and really meditate on what God is trying to tell us, we find that our suffering is relived. Whatever the problem, it either seems to go away or is put into perspective and marginalized.
Oswald Chambers notes that it was the twelve that Christ expounded to and not the crowd. The crowd could not be alone with Christ. It simply wasn’t possible. Christ took the perplexity of the twelve and used it for opportunities to teach them. Without their perplexity, the twelve would not have been receptive to the lesson.
The other thing I want to note here is a point that Chambers makes constantly and I agree with. Anyone reading this blog for any period of time may be sick of hearing it, but please bear with me for the sake of those who are new. God puts us in situations for our OWN spiritual and personal growth. We are in charge of taking the initiative in being receptive. We cannot be in charge of our brother’s or sister’s growth. In life we do come across tragedy and during these times empathy is warranted. However, we cannot hope to know for what purpose God is using these events to shape the growth of others. Nor should we waste any time in trying to discern it.
We have too much brokenness in ourselves too worry about how other people are coming along. Focus on what God is telling YOU. The lesson He is trying to teach YOU. Show compassion and empathy for tragedy, but allow your brothers and sisters to develop in the way that God is intending.
Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong? I did, beginning yesterday and into this morning. Not that anything truly bad has happened, but it’s the little things. Turning on a light switch to get Chloe’s bath towel and pajamas while she’s in the tub (water running) only to have the bulb go out. Getting all the way to the office and realizing that I have my computer bag…sans computer. These are the kinds of frustrations that leave me totally at a loss for words that can be used in polite company.
Fortunately, I have been at this whole relationship with God thing long enough to stop, at the peak of my frustration and say ‘God, what is it exactly that you are trying to tell me?’ In my case, the lesson was loud and clear, ‘You have been busy, which is understandable, but you have not taken even a moment for conversation with Me.’ I heard it almost audibly. It was true.
God gets us alone through our suffering and frustration. These times, when we are so frustrated, sad, and disappointed that we simply become dumbfounded and don’t know what to say are ample opportunities for God to help us realize something about our nature. If we stop to listen in these times, and really meditate on what God is trying to tell us, we find that our suffering is relived. Whatever the problem, it either seems to go away or is put into perspective and marginalized.
Oswald Chambers notes that it was the twelve that Christ expounded to and not the crowd. The crowd could not be alone with Christ. It simply wasn’t possible. Christ took the perplexity of the twelve and used it for opportunities to teach them. Without their perplexity, the twelve would not have been receptive to the lesson.
The other thing I want to note here is a point that Chambers makes constantly and I agree with. Anyone reading this blog for any period of time may be sick of hearing it, but please bear with me for the sake of those who are new. God puts us in situations for our OWN spiritual and personal growth. We are in charge of taking the initiative in being receptive. We cannot be in charge of our brother’s or sister’s growth. In life we do come across tragedy and during these times empathy is warranted. However, we cannot hope to know for what purpose God is using these events to shape the growth of others. Nor should we waste any time in trying to discern it.
We have too much brokenness in ourselves too worry about how other people are coming along. Focus on what God is telling YOU. The lesson He is trying to teach YOU. Show compassion and empathy for tragedy, but allow your brothers and sisters to develop in the way that God is intending.
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